Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that the 118 bus route, which runs from Morden to Brixton, will be withdrawn from February 2025.
The decision follows a public consultation held between September 2 and October 13, 2024, which proposed changes to bus routes 45, 59, and 118.
TfL consultation report states: “The proposals aimed to simplify the bus network between Streatham, Brixton and Camberwell”.
During the consultation, TfL asked: “How would the proposed changes to routes 45, 59, and 118 impact you?”
Of the 530 respondents specifically addressing route 118, 248 said they would be negatively affected if it were replaced by route 45.
Across all 776 responses, 122 individuals (16 per cent) submitted comments opposing the plans, emphasising that route 118 should remain unchanged.
In contrast, only 49 people (six per cent) expressed support for the proposed changes.
TfL’s monitoring showed that more buses were operating than were needed by customers along two key sections of route 45, between Brixton Hill and Streatham, and between Camberwell and Elephant & Castle.
A restructure of routes included a change to route 45, which will now operate between Denmark Hill/Camberwell Green and Morden, instead of between Clapham Park/Atkins Road and Elephant & Castle.
A change to route 59 in Streatham was also proposed, which will now operate between Smithfield, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and Clapham Park/Atkins Road, instead of between Smithfield, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and Streatham Hill/Telford Avenue.
Route 118 will no longer operate and will be replaced by the proposed changes to route 45.
TfL has confirmed that it has decided to proceed with the route changes after “careful consideration.”
In response to the objections on the changes, TfL said: “We continuously review and adapt the bus network to reflect changing customer needs.
“This includes proposing adjustments to existing bus routes, to ensure services can continue to operate efficiently in areas where our customers need them most.
“These proposals aimed to provide some new and improved local bus connections between Morden and Camberwell, including important trips to medical settings.
“Customer demand for buses has fallen in inner London in the last few years. For example, peak demand on routes serving Brixton Hill in 2023/24 was about 70 per cent of the level of demand in 2019/20.
“Reducing the frequency on bus routes where demand has fallen frees up resources to be spent elsewhere on the bus network where demand is increasing.
“We considered these proposals represent a better match of bus capacity with passenger demand, that will help encourage more use of public transport, while continuing to provide regular and reliable bus services to popular destinations in the area.”
